Excursion: Madidi National Park

Most people go to Rurrenabaque to visit either the Madidi National Park or the Pampas. Both tours are equally expensive but not equally vegan.

I recommend to visit the Madidi National Park rather than doing a Pampas tour. In the pampas tour some of the activities are swimming with the river dolphins and fishing piranhas, which is questionable. Furthermore some tours feed the animals, which is forbidden, that’s why they approach the boat and are visible. Therefore the tour on the river is rather a zoo safari, than a visit to the wilderness.

In the Madidi National Park the activities are mainly walking through the rainforest and look for wild animals, that are not used to humans. Therefore the experience is more authentic and it is vegan, as every approach of the animals is because they are curious. The chance to see animals depends on the season, weather, guide and the animals themselves. That’s why the agencies don’t advert with them.

The “veganness” of the tour also depends on the agency. The official agencies have a minimum price of 1200Bs. This means the cheaper ones are not official and the guide I had also told me that they are treating the animals and the forest without respect. For example they feed the animals on the pampas tour and don’t care if the people wear sunscreen or not (you shouldn’t, neither mosquito spray if you get in touch with wild animals). Or they cut a palm each day to let the tourists try palm hearts.

There are three agencies I can recommend.

• Max Adventures 1350Bs (198$)
• Mashaquipe 1650Bs (242$)
• Bala Tours (even more expensive)

All plus park entrance fee of 200Bs (30$).

I booked my tour with Max Adventures as they explained me both tours in most details and assured me that the food will be vegan.

The Tour:

Day 1: We start in the office with breakfast (tea and coffee) and welcome. We go to the boat and drive to the park office on the other side of the river to pay the fee and fill out a paper. With the paper and the live jackets on we go upriver to the entrance of the park, where we show the ticket and can use the toilet. The journey goes on and for lunch we arrive at the camp. Lunch is a buffet with rice, vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, banana chips and juice. After lunch we accommodate in the bungalows and have a three hour walk on the other side of the river to reach a view point. Coming back we have dinner. After dinner there is a night walk with flashlights for 1-2 hours.

Day 2: After breakfast (fruits, bread, tea and coffee) we have a full day or if the groups decides two 3-4 hour walks that we end with constructing a raft and rafting back to the camp.

Day 3: After breakfast we make our own jewelry and leave the camp after lunch. Back in Rurrenabaque we collect our stuff in the office, write feedback and get a present, coke and a voucher for a pizza.

Sometimes (August/September) one of the activities is fishing in the river, but depending on the group you don’t do it. And you don’t have to take part if you don’t want to.